Are you using pesticides in your home? They may be carcinogens

New studies indicate that children exposed to common household pesticides and herbicides could be at a greater risk to be diagnosed with cancer.

Researchers examined 16 studies which included nearly 1,200 children and found that many non restricted pesticides may be carcinogenic. Numerous restricted pesticides, used only by licensed professionals, are much more toxic than non restricted products and pose a greater health risk to people.

"Pesticides are designed and manufactured to kill organisms," said study author Chenseng Lu. "Parents should avoid using these chemicals in the vicinity of their kids."

Each year the United States uses over 30 thousand tons of pesticides on lawns. In 2006 the US spent close to $12 billion on pesticides. That number rose to roughly $13 billion in 2007.

Further, statistics show the US is very pesticide dependent. While these numbers also include agricultural pesticides, it still gives you a broad scope of how the nation views pesticide usage. US expenditure on pesticides accounted for 32 percent of total world expenditure.

During this study, researchers found that children who were exposed to herbicides had a 26 percent greater chance of being diagnosed with leukemia than those unexposed. They also found that children were 47 percent more likely to be diagnosed with leukemia if they were exposed to indoor insecticides.

Researchers have gone back and forth on exactly why the rate of childhood cancer is increasing, although many believe pesticides are a culprit. These products often kill pests by mutating their blood cells. The same ingredients could be having a similar affect on children. Many pesticides are known to cause respiratory, nervous and gastrointestinal problems.

While there is no cure for cancer, there are a number of alternative processes used to try to manage it. Two of these include, stem cell treatment and infusion therapy. [irrelevant to your topic]

Called engraftment, during a normal stem cell procedure to treat cancer, high doses of chemo are used to destroy every cancer cell, including those in the bone marrow. Radiation may also be used along with chemo. Soon after chemo, doctors inject patients with stem cells to replace old cells. These new cells will eventually make their way into the bone marrow and help grow healthy, new cells.

Infusion therapy involves the use of injecting medicine through a needle or catheter. Often only used when a condition is severe and normal oral medications are ineffective. Infusion therapy may be used for diseases such as cancer or cancer-related pain which may not respond to oral antibiotics.